MONTH OF MAY DAN: NASA ASTRONAUTS DOUG HURLEY AND BOB BEHNKEN ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF TRAINING. THEY’VE WALKED THE ACCESS ARM T THEIR DRAGON CAPSULE ON THE PAD, THEY’VE SPENT YEARS PRACTICING IN THE SPACECRAFT OR ITS SIMULATORS. AND NOW THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY THAT BUILDS THE CAPSULE AND ITS FALCON-9 LAUNCHER SAYS MAY IS THE TARGET MONTH FOR SPACEX’S FIRST LAUNCH OF ASTRONAUTS SPACEX ACED ITS FINAL TEST FLIGHT. I THINK GETTING THE NASA TEAM AND THE SPACEX TEAM ON THE SAME PAGE GOING FORWARD, AND KIND OF WALKING THROUGH ALL THE DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE, GETTING READY FOR THIS FLIGHT IS A BIG MILESTONE. DAN: IT WOULD BE THE FIRST LAUNCH OF ANY ASTRONAUTS FROM HERE SINCE 2011. SPACEX PRESIDENT GWYNNE SHOTWELL SAID YESTERDAY THE COMPANY IS GUNNING FOR MAY. THE MOST RECENTLY KNOWN INTERNAL SCHEDULES ARE SHOWING THE 7TH AS A POSSIBLE LAUNCH DATE. IT MIGHT BE THE BIGGEST EVENT ON THE SPACE COAST IN A LONG TIME. >> NOWHERE WILL BE MORE EXCITED THAN HERE IN FLORIDA, WHERE WE’VE PROBABLY BEEN MORE AGITATED AND FRUSTRATED WITH RELYING ON VLADIMIR PUTIN THAN ANYONE ELS DAN: ANY LAUNCH PLANS THAT SPACEX MAKES HAVE TO BE APPROVED NASA, AND NASA IS NOT SAYING IF THEY MAY LAUNCH IS IN THE CARDS. THE SPACE AGENCY WANTS TO MAKE SURE FIRST THAT THE TWO ASTRONAUTS ARE READY FOR WHAT COULD BE A MONTHS-LONG FLIGHT TO THE SPACE STAT

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Updated: 9:43 AM PDT Apr 17, 2020

NASA has announced that it will launch astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket on May 27.The SpaceX Crew Dragon will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board.The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that will carry the astronauts into space has arrived in Cape Canaveral and launch preparations are underway, NASA officials said.Liftoff will be from Florida's Kennedy Space Center — marking the first time a rocket will carry astronauts into orbit from the United States since NASA's Space Shuttle program retired in 2011.The announcement was first made on Twitter by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. Hurley and Behnken are both former military test pilots and veteran astronauts who previously flew on space shuttle missions.After launching on May 27, they will spend about 110 days in space. They'll return on the Crew Dragon capsule, which will navigate back through Earth's atmosphere and splash down just off Florida's Atlantic Coast.Because of COVID-19, however, there will be no crowds of spectators lining the beaches and viewing sites along Florida's Space Coast to watch the craft hurtle toward the ISS, as they have for the launch of nearly every crewed US mission since Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space in 1961.Only a limited number of reporters will be allowed on site, and NASA said it will not host any members of the public."This has become yet another footnote in the story of coronavirus and its impact on America," said Dale Ketcham, a vice president at Space Florida, a local industry group. "But NASA is continuing to press ahead with Commercial Crew because there is a profound obligation to keep space station operational."NASA has shut down many of its activities in response to coronavirus, but it has maintained all ISS-related activity. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan returned from their stay on the space station aboard a Russian spacecraft Friday.The ISS has continually hosted a rotating crew of astronauts from all over the world since 2000. The United States and Russia are the space station's primary operators, but since 2011, Russia has been the only country capable of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS.NASA has paid up to $86 million per seat and about $55.4 million on average to fly U.S. astronauts aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, according to the space agency's inspector general.Years ago, NASA asked the private sector to develop a new generation of crew-worthy spacecraft. SpaceX was allotted $2.6 billion and Boeing was awarded $4.2 billion in 2014, and the space agency initially predicted their vehicles would be ready to fly astronauts by 2017. But development of both spacecraft took years longer than expected.NASA confirmed in February that SpaceX would be the first company to launch American astronauts into space from American soil in nearly 10 years. SpaceX and Boeing had been racing to be the first to launch astronauts, but it appeared clear that it would be SpaceX first after Boeing ran into issues during the launch of its Starliner crew capsule.It's the first crewed mission for SpaceX since its founding 18 years ago.The companies were neck-in-neck, but SpaceX emerged as the clear leader after completing a successful test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft's emergency abort system in January. Less than a month earlier, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft suffered major setbacks during an uncrewed orbital flight test. The company has since said it will repeat that test mission in the fall.The Crew Dragon mission in May, dubbed Demo-2, will be the final test for Crew Dragon before NASA transitions to operational crewed flights to the space station using the spacecraft.Though the U.S. space agency paid the companies to develop their vehicles, Starliner and Crew Dragon are privately owned and operated. Unlike previous human spaceflight programs, NASA is essentially a customer of the companies.SpaceX and Boeing have both announced plans to fly tourists aboard the spacecraft alongside NASA astronauts.CNN contributed to this report.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —

NASA has announced that it will launch astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket on May 27.

Hurley and Behnken are both former military test pilots and veteran astronauts who previously flew on space shuttle missions.

After launching on May 27, they will spend about 110 days in space. They'll return on the Crew Dragon capsule, which will navigate back through Earth's atmosphere and splash down just off Florida's Atlantic Coast.

Because of COVID-19, however, there will be no crowds of spectators lining the beaches and viewing sites along Florida's Space Coast to watch the craft hurtle toward the ISS, as they have for the launch of nearly every crewed US mission since Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space in 1961.

Only a limited number of reporters will be allowed on site, and NASA said it will not host any members of the public.

"This has become yet another footnote in the story of coronavirus and its impact on America," said Dale Ketcham, a vice president at Space Florida, a local industry group. "But NASA is continuing to press ahead with Commercial Crew because there is a profound obligation to keep space station operational."

NASA has shut down many of its activities in response to coronavirus, but it has maintained all ISS-related activity. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan returned from their stay on the space station aboard a Russian spacecraft Friday.

The ISS has continually hosted a rotating crew of astronauts from all over the world since 2000. The United States and Russia are the space station's primary operators, but since 2011, Russia has been the only country capable of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS.

NASA has paid up to $86 million per seat and about $55.4 million on average to fly U.S. astronauts aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, according to the space agency's inspector general.

Years ago, NASA asked the private sector to develop a new generation of crew-worthy spacecraft. SpaceX was allotted $2.6 billion and Boeing was awarded $4.2 billion in 2014, and the space agency initially predicted their vehicles would be ready to fly astronauts by 2017. But development of both spacecraft took years longer than expected.

NASA confirmed in February that SpaceX would be the first company to launch American astronauts into space from American soil in nearly 10 years.

SpaceX and Boeing had been racing to be the first to launch astronauts, but it appeared clear that it would be SpaceX first after Boeing ran into issues during the launch of its Starliner crew capsule.

It's the first crewed mission for SpaceX since its founding 18 years ago.

The companies were neck-in-neck, but SpaceX emerged as the clear leader after completing a successful test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft's emergency abort system in January. Less than a month earlier, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft suffered major setbacks during an uncrewed orbital flight test. The company has since said it will repeat that test mission in the fall.

The Crew Dragon mission in May, dubbed Demo-2, will be the final test for Crew Dragon before NASA transitions to operational crewed flights to the space station using the spacecraft.

Though the U.S. space agency paid the companies to develop their vehicles, Starliner and Crew Dragon are privately owned and operated. Unlike previous human spaceflight programs, NASA is essentially a customer of the companies.

SpaceX and Boeing have both announced plans to fly tourists aboard the spacecraft alongside NASA astronauts.